Maintenance and care of Achatina snails at home

Interesting and original pets of the Achatina snail become pets in many families. These creatures got their distribution in East Africa, and now they can be found in the houses of any country in the world. They have earned their popularity for their exotic appearance and undemanding care.

Despite the unpretentiousness of the snails, certain conditions must be created for their maintenance.

Use a plastic or glass container as a terrarium for your snail. The container should have a massive, well-reinforced lid with holes. Achatina belongs to land molluscs, and therefore it is not necessary to fill the selected container with water.

The volume of the aquarium is chosen at the rate of 10 liters per individual; for an adult snail, a terrarium 40 cm long, 25 cm wide and 25 cm high is required. Both giant species and small snails are capable of gnawing through even dense material, so boxes will not work as a home.

The aquarium must be clean, there must be no clouding on the walls:

• it will not be visible through the dull walls of the pet;
• access to light will be difficult.

That's why all walls must be transparent... Inside, you need to organize a feeding place and a drinker, put a pool, equip a shelter - they can serve, for example, a ceramic pot or a coconut shell.

The filler is vital for the African snail. For the mollusk, you should select soft, loose soil, which does not contain sharp fragments. The amount of the filled up substrate is calculated by the dimensions of the snail: it is important that it can be completely buried. Usually, for an adult Achatina, a layer of 5-7 cm is enough; for a young compact snail, you do not need to fill up a lot of soil, otherwise it will suffocate. Several options are considered the most popular types of soil.

• Coconut substrate. This filler retains moisture for a long time. Before filling the aquarium with it, the substrate is sprayed with boiling water, then cooled, washed, dried and placed on the bottom of the terrarium.
• Horse pure peat... If this type of filler is used, then the acidity should remain at the level of 5-7.
• Sand. Snails like this type of soil, but the particles can scratch, injure the shell, and leave damage to the walls of the terrarium. Experienced breeders combine coarse, loose sand with non-acidic soil.
• Compost. This is a good option if it does not contain fertilizers, but snail owners note that when using this species, fruit midges may appear in the terrarium and in the house.

This is a thermophilic animal, the recommended temperature for keeping it is + 24 ... 28 degrees Celsius. To maintain the regime, you can use thermal mats, thermal cords, lighting devices. With a cold snap, Achatina becomes lethargic and can even go into hibernation. Overheating is also dangerous. To control the temperature, do not forget to get a thermometer.

Do not leave the terrarium next to a radiator or other heating devices so that the moisture readings do not decrease and the soil does not dry out. And keep the aquarium out of direct sunlight.

Moisture is the most important indicator for keeping snails. V in arid conditions, Achatina feel uncomfortable, they burrow into the substrate or take refuge in a shell. In order not to cause discomfort to the pet, organize a small pool in the terrarium.

Any container can serve as a basis. The main thing is that it should be heavy, and the snail could not turn it over.... And also to maintain humidity, you need to spray the terrarium and its bottom with water a couple of times a day. Recommended humidity for most species is 70-85%, for albopict - 90%.

The visual organ of snails is located on the antennae, and therefore these animals are very sensitive to light. In order for the pet not to go blind, you cannot use powerful bright lamps for lighting. And also it is not allowed to put the terrarium on the south window, where ultraviolet rays fall. Use weak lighting devices, be sure to turn off the light at night.

The main diet of snails is plant food. Cucumbers, lettuce, apples are Achatina's favorite delicacies.

This creature does not disdain street grasses - clover, dandelion, leaves. And also carrots, corn, zucchini will be useful. As an additional treat, you can offer the snail bran or oatmeal. The most important component of the menu should be foods high in calcium. So, eggshells or feed chalk can be an excellent source of this element. Do not refuse to feed with special supplements and vitamins for reptiles.

Offer your snail only thoroughly washed, minced food.Juveniles are fed every evening, and the remaining food fragments are removed in the morning.

For the correct maintenance of the Achatina, the owner must take care not only of food, but also of water for his pet. Without liquid, it is impossible to excrete the secretion of liquid, which is so necessary for the snail to live. That's why there should always be a small container with water in the terrarium; it is customary to change the water every two days.

General cleaning in the terrarium is carried out once a month. Cleaning is performed step by step:

1. the aquarium is cleaned of old filler;
2. the container is thoroughly washed with running water and dried well;
3. then fill the container with a new substrate;
4. moisten the substrate by sprinkling with water from a spray bottle.

As already mentioned, it is advisable to put a pool in the terrarium. Here the snail will perform water procedures. Do not fill the container too high, especially if small snails are living in the enclosure. Mollusks can move under water, but young animals, absent-mindedly, can drown. The water in the pool should be at room temperature, you need to change it every day.

From time to time, Achatina needs a shower. For this, ablution with warm water over a faucet is suitable. The snail is held in the palm of your hand at the time of the shower procedure. The entire manipulation lasts a maximum of 3 minutes.

Due to the unavailability of fresh fruits and vegetables, the snail menu becomes poor in winter. A drop in temperature and a lack of humidity affect the state of Achatina, so many of them hibernate. This is not a dangerous phenomenon for the animal, however, an inexperienced owner may be frightened, noticing that the pet does not show signs of life for two months.

It's good if you manage to grow greens for your pet yourself at home in winter. In cold months, feeding with oatmeal, bran, low-fat dairy products, coarsely ground bread soaked in water is allowed.

Every owner who decided to breed Achatina snails, should know a few facts about breeding and caring for eggs and young.

• Achatina has both male and female genital organs, that is, it belongs to hermaphrodites. The incubation period varies depending on the species.
• Pregnancy can be determined by a bag of eggs formed next to the breathing hole a couple of weeks after crossing. A pregnant snail produces a clutch within two days, burrowing into the ground. At a time, 200-400 eggs are obtained, however, not all are viable. Cubs hatch 2-4 weeks after laying.
• Achatina are very fertile animals, and often the owner has to wash off some of the eggs in order to control the number of individuals. This sometimes happens by accident, so be careful when cleaning the enclosure.
• As soon as the first cubs emerge from the eggs, transfer them from the adults to a separate terrarium with lettuce leaves.
• The first complementary food for offspring can be liquid porridge, supplemented with grated carrots. These foods contribute to the healthy growth and strengthening of the shell.

An animal can hibernate for the following reasons:

• sharp temperature changes;
• a stressful situation, for example, changing the terrarium, diet, substrate;
• cold snap;
• lack of moisture.

Most often, owners observe this phenomenon in the winter. Before deep sleep, the pet is covered with a special film called the epiphragm. In general, there is nothing dangerous in hibernation, but if the snail continues to sleep for more than two months, then it will lose an irreplaceable part of its moisture, and this can already destroy Achatina.Due to the loss of moisture, the mollusk decreases in size and buries deeper into the shell, the body becomes more and more liquid.

Sometimes the owners deliberately put the snail into a state of sleep, for example, during a vacation, when there is no one to care for the animal. To do this, the mollusk is placed in a container with a dry substrate, the aquarium is not moistened, the animal is not fed. Under these conditions, the snail will fall asleep. It is forbidden to hibernate young individuals, otherwise it will negatively affect the growth and development of Achatina.

If the snail sleeps for more than two months, then the owner is forced to wake it up.

If the cause of hibernation was a violation of the temperature regime, then it is required to return the previous values. And also in this case, you need to change the soil and bathe the snail in water with a decoction of chamomile (+36 degrees) and milk. If the clam does not wake up, the procedure is repeated every two days until it comes out of the shell.

Having noticed that the animal is preparing to hibernate, it is important to prevent this phenomenon. The following measures will serve as prevention:

• add ingredients high in calcium to the menu;
• wash your snail regularly, keep the terrarium clean;
• monitor the air temperature and humidity in the aquarium.

Disease can be a problem when keeping a pet. In general, these are animals with rather good health, but such an attack as a disease does not always bypass them. The following symptoms indicate an ailment:

• the passivity of the snail;
• loss of appetite;
• blockage of the entrance to the sink;
• excessively thick mucus;
• stratification of the shell;
• whistle and hiss, which during pain produces Achatina.

The animal gets sick if hypothermia or overheating occurs in the terrarium. And also the causes of ailments can be a tight container, a too dry or wet substrate, poor hygiene, an accumulation of rotten uneaten food fragments, the formation of fungus and mold on the walls, a monotonous diet, a deficiency of protein and calcium. To treat the clam from parasites, breeders use iodine, propolis ointment, Mikoseptin.

Sometimes it becomes a problem trauma to the shell. The snail can fall, or the absent-minded owner can accidentally crush it with something, as a result of which the integrity of the shell is broken. Small defects can be treated with an antiseptic, large fractures and cracks can be repaired with epoxy glue.

In order to prevent injury to the shell, it is important to observe the following rules:

• always take the snail with clean and damp hands, but do not use soap, cream or other hygiene products before doing this;
• do not forcefully pull the pet off the wall of the aquarium and do not squeeze it between your fingers, so as not to injure the shell and damage the internal organs;
• take the snail not by the shell, but by the sole.

Sometimes determining the death of a pet becomes a problem. Not all owners are able to recognize that the animal has died and continue to care for it. If, when touched, the snail does not instinctively pull the head and body into the shell, then this indicates its death. The same applies to the situation when the shell is sealed for a long time and the snail cannot be woken up.

In general, the owners' reviews of African snails are positive, although there are some disadvantages of these animals. The advantages include ease of maintenance, as well as cost-effectiveness of maintenance. So, the main costs are necessary only when Achatina appears in the house (buying an aquarium, lighting fixtures, filler, houses), and then this animal will practically not require expenses. And also among the pluses, there is a lack of smell, which other pets cannot boast of.

Separately, the owners talk about the benefits of these snails. Turns out, their mucus is used in medicine and cosmetology. Some housewives leave the animal on the face, stomach, or in areas where cellulite has formed.

The disadvantages of these pets, judging by the reviews of the owners, can be attributed to them the feature to make noise when crawling at night, that is, an unpleasant sound is heard when rubbing against the surface. However, this property is not noticed by all owners, mainly this phenomenon is observed in pets, in which sand is used as bedding. And also the disadvantages include the possible the appearance of a smell from rotting products, unnoticed and not cleaned by the owner in time.

Some users say that when escaping, these animals are quite difficult to find in the apartment. Owners of certain species give an opinion about their favorites. So, breeders of reticulates advise buying a rather large terrarium, and owners of albino snails recommend not to be scared if the animal is growing slowly - apparently, this is characteristic of albinos, besides, such snails are more demanding in care.

You can find out more about the Achatina snail by watching the video below.